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Wow, after reading (some) of this thread, I have booked my tickets...I'm leaving Santa Cruz, headed to JerZ for the rest of the season. Should I bring anything other than my gun (board or otherwise)? How else can I deal with the 23 footers and the locals at the same time?

I admit, I didn't read all 22 pages of this thread, but being from MD, growing up going to OC MD my whole life and a little time up in jersey.... Moving to CA and now in the SE, I will say that all BS aside, as far as surfing goes... Jersey is in the Top 3 wave rich areas on the entire east coast... They have a better angle than anyone in the mid-atlantic or NE for hurricane swells... They have decent sand bars for the most part, and pound for pound, there are only 2 other places on the entire eastern seaboard that have more waves... Central FL and OBX.... Jersey comes in 3 for consistency and quality across the board.... OC MD has its days, but Jersey just statistically has a slight upper hand.... And every dog has its day on the east coast, Hilton Head Island included, but if we had half the waves down here that they do in Jersey, I would be pretty stoked... Although was have nice warm water and fun conditions, its tough being a surfer if you live from Southern NC to Central FL.... It may be cold and they have some runoff issues up there, but Jersey on paper and in photographic evidence has a lot to be proud of as far as surfing goes...

And to the original poster, there is a reason that most surf coverage from major swell events happens in 3 states.... NC, FL and NJ... period... there is in fact a reason for that... its not that other places aren't getting waves, its that all the pro surfers, all the pro photogs are watching the same forecasts and looking at the same historical data that we all have access to and it leads them in flocks to those 3 places... When surfline shows up and half of the WQS tour is in your state, surfing your waves, you know that you don't have it too bad.

I can't believe I was so defensive of NJ in this thread. Truth be known, I'm sick of friggin New Jersey. Sorry NJSHREDMACHINE, but I'm 41 and I'm over it.........

NJ is a great place to be young and surf stoked. There's enough waves and the flat spells keep you hungry and fired-up. NJ surf will entertain you for years and years, but as far as myselves, I want something more........

It really is a rare day, happening maybe a handful of times per year when we get solid, groomed waves. So many days - post-low pressure depature - are, let's say, touchy. Dumping closeouts, ducking 12 waves in 36 F water...........I don't know, there's just not many days when it's head high, glassy, well-shaped, and groomed. I need some quality these days. I've been out 4 of the last 5 days and I'm basically on autopilot. Robotic. I go out not because I'm excited about the waves, but rather, "it's what I do." Back in my younger days once I entered the ocean all my land-based concerns disappeared. That doesn't happen anymore.

I'm bored as %$#$. It's just not the waves, but the whole scenery. I want some wildness. Some Pacific Northwest adventure. I'm tired of boardwalks and McMansions. I'm tired of hearing, " HEY YO, JOEY !!!!" I'm tired of the anger. I'm tired of the attitudes. I'm tired of the thugs, the dope and the guns. NJ is a great place to be young and reckless. But those days have passed. Funny, how I used to openly embrace all of these NJ qualities. Funny how times change.

You younger guys and the novices, don't let this message get you down. You're good. You have decades before you'll get jaded. Just remeber variety and MODERATION are big keys to a happy existence.

I can't believe I was so defensive of NJ in this thread. Truth be known, I'm sick of friggin New Jersey. Sorry NJSHREDMACHINE, but I'm 41 and I'm over it.........

NJ is a great place to be young and surf stoked. There's enough waves and the flat spells keep you hungry and fired-up. NJ surf will entertain you for years and years, but as far as myselves, I want something more........

It really is a rare day, happening maybe a handful of times per year when we get solid, groomed waves. So many days - post-low pressure depature - are, let's say, touchy. Dumping closeouts, ducking 12 waves in 36 F water...........I don't know, there's just not many days when it's head high, glassy, well-shaped, and groomed. I need some quality these days. I've been out 4 of the last 5 days and I'm basically on autopilot. Robotic. I go out not because I'm excited about the waves, but rather, "it's what I do." Back in my younger days once I entered the ocean all my land-based concerns disappeared. That doesn't happen anymore.

I'm bored as %$#$. It's just not the waves, but the whole scenery. I want some wildness. Some Pacific Northwest adventure. I'm tired of boardwalks and McMansions. I'm tired of hearing, " HEY YO, JOEY !!!!" I'm tired of the anger. I'm tired of the attitudes. I'm tired of the thugs, the dope and the guns. NJ is a great place to be young and reckless. But those days have passed. Funny, how I used to openly embrace all of these NJ qualities. Funny how times change.

You younger guys and the novices, don't let this message get you down. You're good. You have decades before you'll get jaded. Just remeber variety and MODERATION are big keys to a happy existence.

Yeah, I wish. After years of putting 40,000 miles per year on my vehicles, I rarely get out of Atlantic County these days......much less Iceland. Man, I would love to go to Iceland, permenantly.......they have elves there you know.........they eat pancakes and drink coffee.